After nearly 9 years of selling pants to people who need pants, I have decided to close my Blackbird stores to focus on the wholesale sales of our #1 products: Blackbird Incense Pyres, Beard Oil and Black Square Soap (and a few more).

When I started Blackbird, menswear was in a deep rut, but the signs of change were starting to spring up. I had to search far and wide to find clothing that fit, fabrics that would wear well and designs that would move us into the future without breaking the bank or our sensibilities. It wasn't easy. Sales reps frequently said I wasn't buying what all the other stores selected, but that didn't bother me. In no way did I expect that people would take notice of my store, that Blackbird would win menswear awards, and that as I traveled the world, kids I met in other stores would freak out when I said that I owned a store in America called Blackbird. The people were always the best part of this adventure. The mission started out being about the clothes but quickly the people were what mattered most; to see them as who they are, to inspire them to take one step further than the last, and to let them know it was okay to be themselves. I didn't know I would affect people. I didn't know how much you people would affect me.

Saying goodbye is difficult but my new adventure has already started. There is so much more I could say about The Field House, the Blackbird blog, being a little store in Seattle getting worldwide recognition, the customers, Ballard, the time we tried to hatch baby chicks in the store. Too many good times.

To all of our loyal and kind customers (impossible to name them all): You made Blackbird what it is. You believed in this little store. You inspired me. Thank you.

Extra special, above and beyond thanks go out to the following people who through good times and bad have always been there to support Blackbird. You left your mark on my world and I grew so much because of you.

Burl Darden - Obey Clothing

Jasen and Alison Bowes - The Delivery Group

Robert Geller - Robert Geller

Austin Sherbanenko & Christina Vagi - Odyn Vovk

Tony Patella - Tellason

Billy Bartels - X Blackbird, Vim Beget

Leah Lawrence - X Blackbird, Baleen, Drifting Arrows

James Gillespie - X Blackbird, Saint Laurent

Charles Leo Gebhardt IV - X Blackbird

Tyler Johnson - X Blackbird

Tyler Nelson - X Blackbird

Tyler Brown - X Blackbird

Nicole Bentley - X Blackbird

Marina Winther - Blackbird

Adam Savaria - Blackbird

Aaron Way - Blackbird

My mom, Suzy Dowling

...and most of all to my daughter Sofia. You never stopped coming up with ideas, patted me on the back when I was down and never let me give up.

STAY TUNED: We'll be sending out a schedule for all of the clearance events. All items except a few are wildly marked down and everything including fixtures must go by the end of the month. In addition, some lucky person will be happy to know that we're selling off the giant metal staircase and loft too.